COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – MSU Denver battled back from a 4-0 deficit through five innings to take a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth, but UCCS rallied for an 8-6 win Sunday to prevent the Roadrunners from sweeping the four-game series.
"We had a great chance to sweep a team in conference, but we just couldn't get it done today. So we're just going to have to take the series win, bounce back and get ready for next weekend."
After tying the game with four runs in the sixth, MSU Denver took its first lead of the game on
Bill Ralston's ninth-inning homer and added another on a run-scoring groundout by
Blake Mattey.
But UCCS loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and won it on a walkoff grand slam by Aaron Farragallah.
The ninth-inning rally negated a stellar relief effort by
Josh Thompson, who came on in relief in the first inning and allowed one run while striking out seven in 7 2/3 innings.
"It was a tough loss," Strain said. "I'm proud of the way the offense battled back, and they gave us a lead in the top of the ninth. Not being able to hold it in the bottom of the ninth was tough.
"Thompson had given us a bunch of good innings leading up to that, and it was just unfortunate that we weren't able to finish them off.
Ross Smith was 3-for-4, while Schuler,
Cam Yuran,
Tanner Garner and
Colin Stone each had two hits.
Yuran followed up Schuler's homer in the sixth with one of his own, and the back-to-back blasts made it 4-3.
Chase Anderson tied the game with a run-scoring groundout.
While winning three of four in the series MSU Denver put up incredible offensive numbers by scoring 66 runs. It was the highest run total in four consecutive games since the Roadrunners produced 69 runs in four games from Feb. 28 through March 6, 2012, and is believed to be the most in a four-game series in program history (records are incomplete prior to 1985).
MSU Denver (19-11 overall, 10-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference), tied for third in the RMAC, plays games next weekend against Colorado Christian and host CSU-Pueblo.
